Legislative Yuan Plans to Slash PTS and TaiwanPlus Budgets: U.S. Think Tank Warns of Threat to Taiwan's Global Voice

In response to the Legislative Yuan's potential drastic reduction of TaiwanPlus's entire budget, Ilan Berman, Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), published an article in U.S. Forbes on the 11th, stating that the current debate over public media funding in Taiwan is far more than a simple fiscal issue—it directly affects Taiwan's ability to maintain autonomous narrative power in global public opinion competition.

International concern over potential severe budget cuts to TaiwanPlus continues to grow. Joining earlier expressions of concern from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Public Media Alliance (PMA), and the International Public Television Screening Conference (INPUT), Berman, along with other international figures—including Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan; Japan's TV Asahi; Derek Mitchell, former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar; French senior filmmaker Olivier Richard; and Dr. Lin Chen-yu, scholar at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture—have voiced strong support for TaiwanPlus, emphasizing its critical role in international communication and in presenting Taiwan’s perspectives globally.

Berman stressed that TaiwanPlus serves as Taiwan’s primary platform for delivering English-language news and cultural content to the world. It is a strategic asset for conveying Taiwan’s viewpoints and democratic values internationally and for countering Beijing’s unilateral narratives about the Taiwan Strait. He emphasized that the debate over public media funding in Taiwan is not merely a fiscal matter but directly tied to Taiwan’s ability to maintain autonomous voice in global discourse.

"Within academic circles studying China and the Indo-Pacific, TaiwanPlus enjoys high recognition," Berman stated. TaiwanPlus has become a credible international media outlet, enabling global audiences to hear perspectives from Taiwan beyond Beijing’s narratives.

Derek Mitchell, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, echoed this view, supporting TaiwanPlus as a vital strategic infrastructure to counter China’s information warfare. Mitchell noted that most of the world understands Taiwan only in terms of semiconductors and China, with few possessing deeper knowledge of Taiwan’s economic, social, political, and cultural history. "TaiwanPlus, established in 2021, fills this gap," he said. As China’s military and information offensives intensify, reliable information about Taiwan is more crucial than ever. For Taiwan, an international broadcasting channel is not a luxury but strategic infrastructure.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, stated that TaiwanPlus plays a crucial role in enabling the English-speaking international business and policy communities to stay informed on Taiwan’s national security, commercial, and cultural issues—matters deeply interconnected with the global society. He described it as an essential tool in Taiwan’s efforts to maintain engagement and mutual understanding with international partners and allies.

Ms. Mikiko Nakai, Senior Manager for International Affairs at Japan’s TV Asahi, which has long collaborated with TaiwanPlus, expressed strong support for TaiwanPlus and its mission of international outreach. From the perspective of an international co-production partner, she stated that TaiwanPlus serves as a vital bridge connecting Taiwan with the world. TaiwanPlus, she emphasized, is not merely a media outlet but an international platform that fosters deep cultural exchange, enhances mutual understanding, and creates long-term cross-border collaboration opportunities.

French senior filmmaker Olivier Richard highlighted that as more influencers are invited to China to strengthen its soft power, Taiwan truly needs a platform like TaiwanPlus that ensures high production quality and efficient dissemination to showcase Taiwan’s artistic and cultural brilliance to the world. The documentary "BPM ECSTASY," co-produced by Germany-France public broadcaster ARTE and TaiwanPlus, achieved approximately one million views in France and Germany.

Dr. Lin Chen-yu, Assistant Professor at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, stated: "At a time when global understanding of Taiwan is more important than ever, TaiwanPlus provides a valuable and trustworthy bridge between Taiwan and the international community."

TaiwanPlus emphasized that its team’s mission is to let the world hear Taiwan’s most authentic voice and to convey Taiwan’s diverse values, including democracy and human rights. Amid intensifying global information warfare, if its budget is drastically cut or frozen, the extensive international network and audience base built over years will be lost. The TaiwanPlus team urges that only through sustained support can Taiwan maintain narrative dominance in global discourse and continue to spread its values to every corner of the world.